Well, we are now almost a fourth of the way through 2015, so I guess it’s about time one of the most famous driving personalities in the U.S. announced his schedule for the year. Apparently rally will not be a priority for Mr. Hoonigan himself in 2015, with only 4 rally events in total on the calendar and only 2 of those will be stateside at Rally America New England Forest Rally and Lake Superior Performance Rally. If you want to see one of the most exciting drivers in the world ripping it up on gravel roads, hopefully you live in the East half of the country or New Zealand. More…
featured, Ford, Global Rallycross, Hoonigan, Ken Block, rally, Rallycross
So by now it has become pretty well known that long-time TV favorite Jeremy “Jezza” Clarkson, has gotten himself into a splash of hot water. “So what?” you say, continuing to respond to written text verbally like some kind of reverse stenographer. “Jeremy is always in trouble, why not just tell me the sky is blue??”
Well you have a good point, though I’d appreciate you not throwing your sandwich at the monitor like that. Clarkson certainly has a way about him, but the question is really if it’s as big of a deal as it seems. I’ve been discussing this with a smattering of friends over the last week or so and it’s kind of difficult to see what all the fuss is about. I mean sure, he punched some guy in the face over something as ridiculous as a meal being cooked, but this is Jeremy “actually-only-2-years-older-than-Tom-Cruise” Clarkson. I won’t go as far as to make comparisons to a certain C. Montgomery Burns, but there are slightly more intimidating people to have throw a ham-fist towards the middle of your face, if i’m honest. It could be argued that, had he not already caused so many other rabbles in the past, this issue might have been of lesser consequence. But to be honest, even coming from the perspective of someone in the U.S., a place where Ray Rice is a thing, trying to get on the level with suspensions, hearings, lawyers, and show postponements for what has already far outgrown its original (and very fitting) Fracas-labeled jeans, seems like too much.
More…
When you think about the Rally in the 100 Acre Wood, immediately visions of fast sweeping gravel roads pop into your head. It’s no wonder that it’s one of the most popular Rally America events of the year. This year was set to be no exception with 65 entries, but Mother Nature had her own plan. With snow and ice already on the ground, bitterly cold temps moved in for Friday morning. Shakedown started at 8 AM and the temp on my BMW 128i’s dash read 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Why had I got up at 5:30 AM for this, I thought to myself as I pulled on my Columbia snow pants over top of my jeans to try to stay warm. Then as I wandered down the ice covered gravel road towards a tight corner at the top of the hill I remembered just how beautiful the forest was at this time in the morning. It was quiet and peaceful and soon to be filled with the glorious sound of rally cars tearing through it. More…
100 Acre Wood, featured, rally, Rally America, stage rally, Subaru
I haven’t been a Formula 1 fan for very long. I believe my first season of interest was when Jenson Button took Brawn GP to the championship in front of Vettel in 2009. In the short time that I’ve been a fan, however, I have done my best to be a proper one; learning about all the glory that was Senna and his rivalry with Prost, watching the “Killer Years” documentary just shy of a thousand times, and most importantly, picking favorites. In the world of sports, F1 is a very interesting animal in this regard compared to others. Like the rest, you can pick a favorite team, but each team only has 2 players. You have a real opportunity to be a fan of individual drivers and to understand their specific racing styles. Whether it’s Alonso’s adaptability, Perez’s all-or-nothing aggression, or Maldonado’s seemingly impossible feat of crashing more times in an hour and half than a pirated copy of Windows Vista, you really have the privilege of minimal selection. More…
The 2015 version of the autocross index you love to hate is now out. The PAX/RTP index is used to compare SCCA event results across classes. This year all street tire and stock classes now require a minimum tread wear rating of 200 on all tires. Also gone are the race tire ‘stock’ classes. More…
2014 marked the return of the RallyCross National Championships to Nebraska. The inaugural National Championships were held in Hastings, NE just a few short years ago. Since then the number of competitors has almost doubled to over 100 and continues to grow every year. The 2014 edition was held at I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, NE on Oct. 4 & 5.
More…
Yup, it was already that time of year. College Football season has just kicked off, the final heat of the summer is leaving it’s burn on our skin, the first chill of fall teases us, the sun starts to set earlier and earlier and about 1200 people make the trek to the middle of the country. A journey to, what some have coined ‘The Autocross Mecca’, a large flat concrete paradise at an airport in Lincoln, NE. A journey to see just how they stack up against the best and greatest drivers in the country. A journey to the largest motorsports event in the world, the SCCA TireRack Solo National Championships in search of that coveted jacket with the words ‘National Champion’ embroidered on the back. More…
Autocross, event, featured, photo gallery, photos, SCCA, Solo National Championships
Just over 100 competitors showed up at the now famous autocross concrete mecca in Lincoln, NE. With flat empty concrete as far as the eye can see Lincoln Air Park plays home to the largest racing event in the world, SCCA Solo National Championships. With the next national championships just 2 short weeks away, the MiDiv Championships served as an excellent tune up for competitors. More…
One of the MidWest’s largest car shows/meets evolved from humble beginnings. Just a few years ago the Ice Cream Cruise, was literally that. A car cruise to Sonic for ice cream. It then spread out and took over the parking lot of neighboring businesses, like Harbor Freight across the street. More…
This weekend marked the debut of the latest Transformers movie, Transformers 4: The Age of Extinction. In between doing some car work and running errands I somehow found 3 hours to dedicate to viewing this action packed, overly complicated movie. More…
